Illegal products seized at adult store
Chemicals known as `poppers' were banned by Health Canada in 2013
Health Canada has seized two dozen different poppers from an adult store in northwest Edmonton.
Officials from the federal agency took 24 types of products from the Passion Vault on 111 Avenue, said a news release issued on Nov. 25.
Authorities seized similar products from stores in Medicine Hat and Toronto. It is unclear if the raids were connected.
Among the items seized were products labelled as Rush Original, Gold Rush Original and Jungle Juice Gold Label, and a variety of other brands of poppers.
Several items labelled under “sexual enhancement” were also taken from the store by officials.
Poppers is the street term for products containing chemicals known as alkyl nitrates.
They cause a short high that relaxes smooth muscles and gives off a rush, according to the Community Based Research Centre (CBRC).
They are often used in clubs and among men with same-sex partners in the bedroom.
Officials with Health Canada said they could not comment further as they wait for the rest of the investigation to be completed.
Management at the Passion Vault declined to comment on the seizures.
Health Canada began cracking down on the sale of poppers in 2013 as they made their distribution illegal.
Health Canada said poppers pose serious health effects on users, including deaths.
Dr. Kiffer Card, a researcher with the Canadian Institute for Substance Use Research, said that while certain variations of alkyl nitrates can cause harm, the decision to ban poppers across Canada was made without evidence or consultations with the community.
“Many gay and bisexual men and other people have been using poppers for decades, with little to no effect on their health,” said Card. “So the bulk of evidence that we have currently from the population health data we have in our survey shows that most people use without consequence when they're using the safe formulations.”
Card said there is currently no legal way to obtain poppers in Canada.
He said Australia currently allows some strains to be purchased at pharmacies.
Card said in an ideal world, the federal government would move to a similar approach to Australia but would allow for a little more freedom for the drug to be sold in certain stores, such as adult retailers.
He argued that Canada has set a double standard by allowing some therapeutic drugs such as tobacco and alcohol to be sold while others are not.
“It's not just a policy decision of Canada, but it's a political decision that really, really will require intervention from the federal government,” said Card.
Card said his organization will be pushing the government publicly in the coming months to analyze its decision to outlaw poppers through a gender-based analysis.